State executive offices up for election in 2028 include 11 gubernatorial seats, 9 lieutenant gubernatorial seats, 10 attorney general seats, and 7 secretary of state seats. Including down-ballot races, there are 125 state executive offices up for election across 28 states in 2028.[1]
Explore Ballotpedia's coverage of these elections:
On the ballot
A list of elections and candidates on the ballot
Trifectas and triplexes
Information on trifectas and triplexes
Historical election data
A compilation of data related to state executive official elections
Click the tabs below to view information about the elections this year. In this section, you will find:
A list of seats up for election
A list of candidates running
Ballotpedia's Sample Ballot Lookup Tool
Governor
Lieutenant Governor
Attorney General
Secretary of State
Down-ballot
What's on your ballot?
Governor
There are 11 gubernatorial seats up for election in 2028.
Out of all top state executive offices, only the governor and attorney general exist in all 50 states, and only the governor is elected in all 50 states. As the chief executive officer, the governor is among the most powerful figures in state government. Other executive offices ordinarily report to him or her.
American Samoa
Delaware
Indiana
Missouri
Montana
New Hampshire
North Carolina
North Dakota
Puerto Rico
Utah
Vermont
Washington
West Virginia
The table below contains a list of all candidates for governor in 2028. The table is fully searchable by candidate, party and candidacy status. Depending on the size of your screen, you'll either see a menu to the left of the table or an arrow at the top right corner, which you can use to select a state.
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There are nine lieutenant gubernatorial seats on the ballot in 2028.
In 45 states, the lieutenant governor is the second-highest executive office, behind the governor. Although the powers and duties of the lieutenant governor vary from state to state, lieutenant governors are responsible for filling vacancies in the office of governor. In many states, lieutenant governors often sit on boards or commissions, and they are often involved in the proceedings of the state Senate.
American Samoa
Delaware
Indiana
Missouri
Montana
North Carolina
North Dakota
Utah
Vermont
Washington
The table below contains a list of all candidates for lieutenant governor in 2028. The table is fully searchable by candidate, party and candidacy status. Depending on the size of your screen, you'll either see a menu to the left of the table or an arrow at the top right corner, which you can use to select a state.
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There are 10 attorney general seats on the ballot in 2028.
As the state's chief legal officer, the attorney general is responsible for enforcing state law and advising the state government on legal matters. In many states, attorneys general play a large role in the law enforcement process.
Indiana
Missouri
Montana
North Carolina
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Utah
Vermont
Washington
West Virginia
The table below contains a list of all candidates for attorney general in 2028. The table is fully searchable by candidate, party and candidacy status. Depending on the size of your screen, you'll either see a menu to the left of the table or an arrow at the top right corner, which you can use to select a state.
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There are seven secretary of state seats on the ballot in 2028.
Although the duties and powers of the secretary of state vary from state to state, a common responsibility is management and oversight of elections and voter rolls, which are assigned to the secretary of state in 41 states. Other common responsibilities include registration of businesses, maintenance of state records, and certification of official documents.
Missouri
Montana
North Carolina
Oregon
Vermont
Washington
West Virginia
The table below contains a list of all candidates for secretary of state in 2028. The table is fully searchable by candidate, party and candidacy status. Depending on the size of your screen, you'll either see a menu to the left of the table or an arrow at the top right corner, which you can use to select a state.
Trifectas and triplexes are terms used to describe party control of state political offices. Click the tabs below to view the current status of trifectas and triplexes across the country.
State government trifecta is a term to describe single-party government, when one political party holds the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature.
As of September 16, 2025, there are 23 Republican trifectas, 15 Democratic trifectas, and 12 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control.
A state government triplex is a term used to describe when a state's governor, attorney general, and secretary of state are all members of the same party.
As of September 16, 2025, there are 25 Republican triplexes, 20 Democratic triplexes, and 5 divided governments where neither party holds triplex control.
Historical election data
Ballotpedia covers America's 748 state executive seats across all 50 states. The following sections look at incumbency and partisanship in state executive elections from 2011 to 2023.
Incumbency
From 2011 to 2023, 64.3% of incumbents sought re-election. Of the incumbents who sought re-election during that period, 86.5% were successful. The first chart below shows the number of incumbents who sought election each year compared to the number of seats up for election. The second chart shows the number of incumbents who were re-elected compared to the number of incumbents who ran for re-election.
↑Ballotpedia describes the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and secretary of state as top-ballot state executive offices. Down-ballot state executive offices that exist in all 50 states include superintendent of schools, insurance commissioner, agriculture commissioner, labor commissioner, and public service commissioner. Examples of other down-ballot state executive offices include treasurer, auditor, and comptroller.
Montana • North Carolina • North Dakota • Pennsylvania • Utah • Vermont • Washington • West Virginia
Commissioners
Alabama (public service) • Arizona (corporation) • Delaware (insurance) • Hawaii (Hawaiian affairs) • Louisiana (public service) • Massachusetts (governor's council) • Montana (public service) • Nebraska (public service) • New Hampshire (executive council) • North Carolina (agriculture) • North Carolina (labor) • North Carolina (insurance) • North Dakota (insurance) • North Dakota (public service) • Oklahoma (corporation) • South Dakota (public utilities) • Texas (railroad) • Washington (insurance) • Washington (public lands) • West Virginia (agriculture)
Education officials
Alabama (board of education) • Colorado (board of education) • Colorado (board of regents) • Kansas (board of education) • Michigan (board of education) • Michigan (board of regents) • Montana (superintendent) • Nebraska (board of education) • Nebraska (board of regents) • Nevada (board of education) • Nevada (board of regents) • New Mexico (board of education) • North Carolina (superintendent) • North Dakota (superintendent) • Ohio (board of education) • Texas (board of education) • Utah (board of education) • Washington (superintendent)
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